Pheasants are way down!!!!
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wesslpointer
New member
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kansasbrittany
Banned
Carptom and Downtown Bang,
I'm in full agreement! I too am willing and able to give a bit more. Hearing of "customers" requesting to pay more is rare, but a large % of us would give more $ to improve our sport and its future. Kinda makes a guy wonder why this hasn't prompted action. Typically funding is the limiting factor
I'm in full agreement! I too am willing and able to give a bit more. Hearing of "customers" requesting to pay more is rare, but a large % of us would give more $ to improve our sport and its future. Kinda makes a guy wonder why this hasn't prompted action. Typically funding is the limiting factor
Boy this is refreshing to read. I appreciate your thoughts and attitudes. Wessel I agree it needs to be a multi faceted approach. When I take in some revenue I make improvements with some of that revenue. Rather than spend money on lobbyists and lawyers find a like minded farmer and rent some land for a few years. Like old and new did with the hedge row. You can call your senator and congressmen. You don't have to pay hundreds of dollars an hour to someone to lobby save the money and do something worth while. If I can ever get the deer population down I will plant trees again that will be winter cover. It really is a partnership, you pay me for a good wild bird hunt and I can do something to make it better next year.
wesslpointer
New member
haymaker you live in a state that understands the economical impact of hunting. Unfornitialy many states don"t. We "pay them" with are licence money and donations. Unfortunately biologist's are not trained to under stand its the " hunting industry" that needs to be saved if there going to have the money to save native things.
Kansas has the premier program for public hunting, over a million acres of walk in ground for hunters. they set it up over time and pay the landowner by the acre enrolled, based on quality of cover. unfortunately, the state is not as conducive to steady pheasant reproduction as is SD, but the attraction is free access to land, a NR license for $85 that is good for the entire calendar year, (not just 10 days) and very few pay to hunt operations. granted there is some ground that gets leased, but by in large the opportunities to hunt are numerous. the real bonus, in my opinion, is the access to private ground just by door knocking and showing common courtesy. thankfully, most folks in Kansas don't see pheasants as an economic opportunity. yes, the hunting is tough, but if you are trying to encourage the next generation of hunters, it is very affordable, which is not the case in SD. a 3 day hunt in SD for a father and his 2 sons would run
$1800 just for trespass fees, how does that strike most of you?
$1800 just for trespass fees, how does that strike most of you?
well, it would be a little more than that, license is $110 each as well. can't really add travel and lodging, you have to pay that where ever you go. i sometimes wonder how/why SD landowners began charging trespass fees, when most people in Kansas never do....it would be interesting to know how that trend got started....or maybe more interesting to know why landowners, for the most part, in Kansas do not.
I can't speak for Kansas or anybody else but in my case I would let people hunt and they bring me a bottle of wine or a ham or some token of their appreciation. Which was fine until it occurred to me that I was going to have three kids in college at the same time.(poor family planning) I decided that I needed to do something about that and the rest is history. Was I wrong to do that?
oh no, everyone has to make financial decisions in life, my question really has to do with why so many SD landowner's turned pheasant hunting into a revenue producing venture? it really is a cash crop, as widely as it is practiced. just not the same in most other pheasant states or not to the saturation point witnessed in SD....of course, conversely, there are a lot of father's who can't afford $1,800 to take their boys to SD pheasant hunting when they too are attending college and trying to pay tuition...it cuts both ways....just interesting, it is what it is.
carptom1
Well-known member
Haymaker, As someone who doesn't mind paying to hunt I appreciate your efforts on your land and wish more folks could see it your way. I drive 2800 miles roundtrip each year and spend two weeks in SD chasing pheasants and prairie grouse. We stay away from the "high dollar" operations since that's not what we're there for but have found a few places that are moderately priced, farm the land for their birds and in all actuality are great people, I can see that it costs these folks many dollars to create the habitat that holds such great numbers of birds, why wouldn't I want to pay my fair share? Society as a whole wants something for nothing, I fear our lack of responsibility to help the landowner out will only lead to further declines in quality places to hunt.
Natty Bumpo
Member
The South Dakota Experience
Good Post by DC directly above.
Our crew has a little shorter drive, but not by much (2400 mi) round trip. We hunt a centenial farm and appreciate the way they do things. Little things that leave some spaces and places (ie habitat) for wildlife of all kinds to survive. We are happy to pay a reasonable tresspass fee to make all this possible. And we will be coming out, no matter what that report says.
Over the past 20+ years, we have found little or no correlation to that road observation report and the quality of the "South Dakota Experience".
And as a hunting landowner myself, I'm always amazed, or maybe disgusted is a better word, at the number of people who expect "free hunting" on anybody's land they would like. They need to wake up and smell the coffee!!!
NB
Good Post by DC directly above.
Our crew has a little shorter drive, but not by much (2400 mi) round trip. We hunt a centenial farm and appreciate the way they do things. Little things that leave some spaces and places (ie habitat) for wildlife of all kinds to survive. We are happy to pay a reasonable tresspass fee to make all this possible. And we will be coming out, no matter what that report says.
Over the past 20+ years, we have found little or no correlation to that road observation report and the quality of the "South Dakota Experience".
And as a hunting landowner myself, I'm always amazed, or maybe disgusted is a better word, at the number of people who expect "free hunting" on anybody's land they would like.
They need to wake up and smell the coffee!!!NB
You mention great people. That is why I don't run a high dollar place. I get to meet really nice people, they become friends. And it is more fun than shoveling corn. Our repeat rate is very high so we must be doing something right. That is why we set up a second camp, so more people could have the opportunity if they want it. I appreciate the support that I see here. I am trying to be a little part of the solution.
I started out with one group of four, I now have 16 hunters( more who want to go but I can't take more time from work) who travel to hunt with me on these properties. To a man, they all comment on how wonderful the people are whose properties they get to hunt. Yes, we get to see many, many birds and my dogs have the time of their life but every member of the group always remembers the people and don't hesitate to tell everyone at home of how much the farmers appreciate us coming out. I'm lucky I guess, I get to do this each year, but what's even better is the friendships I have with the people of the land and the conversations we have throughout the year and the time spent with them. But, besides the dogs, isn't that what bird hunting is supposed to be about?
Does anybody know what the Public land is like around Mobridge or Huron? I am thinking about going to one of these places. Any suggestions? I know there are more birds around Mobridge, but I want to make sure I head to the right spot since this is the first time I am heading to SD on public land.
Leeland - I think you will be good on any of the public land that you choose in those areas. The good population will be from the those areas south to Mitchell and over to Winner, Chamberlain, and Pierre. The problem that you may run into is that the land may be hunted a lot before you get to it. I would always ask the local farmers for permission to hunt if you have your eye on a particular spot. They only have two opptions and that's yes or no!
As far as charging for hunts, why not? We went to Yellowstone this summer and guess what we spent for the three of us....$1800. A South Dakota hunt for many out of staters is a vacation. Your vacations these days aren't going to be $300 so I guess you have to expect it if you want to go to where the birds are. Sure you can do it cheaper, a lot cheaper, if you hunt on GFP land and ditches but if you want that "Yellowstone" adventure then your gonna have to pay for it.
Getting back to the original posts, there are plenty of birds here in South Dakota. There isn't one day that I can think of this year that when I went looking for them that I didn't find them. The problem this year is that there are so many late hatches. Many hens this year are on their 3rd, 4th, even their 5th hatch. We did have plenty of rain this Spring which didn't do great things for our pheasant chicks. You will see plenty of young birds but there will still be tons of roosters to shoot.
Oh and dcollum...I will try to hold River and Hank back a little bit so that your GSP's can atleast get one of those roosters in their mouths!!!
See Ya in a few weeks!
Dan
As far as charging for hunts, why not? We went to Yellowstone this summer and guess what we spent for the three of us....$1800. A South Dakota hunt for many out of staters is a vacation. Your vacations these days aren't going to be $300 so I guess you have to expect it if you want to go to where the birds are. Sure you can do it cheaper, a lot cheaper, if you hunt on GFP land and ditches but if you want that "Yellowstone" adventure then your gonna have to pay for it.
Getting back to the original posts, there are plenty of birds here in South Dakota. There isn't one day that I can think of this year that when I went looking for them that I didn't find them. The problem this year is that there are so many late hatches. Many hens this year are on their 3rd, 4th, even their 5th hatch. We did have plenty of rain this Spring which didn't do great things for our pheasant chicks. You will see plenty of young birds but there will still be tons of roosters to shoot.
Oh and dcollum...I will try to hold River and Hank back a little bit so that your GSP's can atleast get one of those roosters in their mouths!!!
See Ya in a few weeks!
Dan
Dakotazeb
Well-known member
I went out to a GPA SW of Aberdeen yesterday morning to get the dogs some expercise. We walked around for an hour and did not see one pheasant. It was about 9:00 AM and the dew was really heavy and the grass really wet. So I assume the birds were not in the wet grass, plus right now there is tons of covers. High weeds, road ditches, growing crops, etc. I did see 2 young roosters running down the road ahead of me about a half mile from the GPA. I'm sure there are birds around but to not see or hear one in an hour running my two Brittanys was surprising. Still lots of water around. If fact I had to drive through a foot of water across the road to get to the GPA. I've never seen water across the road in that stop before. Going to be an interesting year!
Mitchell Fireman
Hey Dan -I have no problem with River an Hank retrieving all of the birds the shorthairs find!!!!!! Saves them the work. Seriously, love running the labs with the shorthairs, I tell everyone what machines they are. Look forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks. DC
Hey Dan -I have no problem with River an Hank retrieving all of the birds the shorthairs find!!!!!! Saves them the work. Seriously, love running the labs with the shorthairs, I tell everyone what machines they are. Look forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks. DC